Spilled Blood and Broken Memories
by Adrien Celsius
Summary: A world ruined. An Exalt dethroned. Two sisters separated at childhood. And a girl's memories of her family and friends, robbed. This is the story of the ruined future of Fire Emblem: Awakening. (Tie-in to Love and Dragonstones)


**A/N: This is a one-shot story based on my interpretation of Morgan's memory loss, and also is a tie-in to my other story, Love and Dragonstones and NOT on the Future Past DLC. You don't need to read it to get proper context thankfully, so please enjoy. **

**WARNING: Rated M for language, excessive violence, and gore.**

* * *

_One Year._

_That was all that it took. One Year._

_In one year, after the resurrection of the Fell Dragon Grima, Ylisse fell to its knees._

_ Only a small vanguard remained of the once proud Shepherds of Ylisse, and it was a shadow of its former glory._

_After losing what would be known as the Grimleal War, Chrom, the Exalt of Ylisse was left in a broken state, a shell of the great man he once was. _

_He had lost a war, he had lost his people, he had lost his kingdom and the fate of the world, but worst of all, he lost his best friend._

_Chrom was never fit to battle again after suffering terrible injuries that should have proven fatal. _

_Now, he stays in the palace, taking care of his wife and daughter and the wife and children of his friend in his memory. _

* * *

"Chrom? How are you this evening?" Sumia, the Queen of the former glorious Halidom of Ylisse stepped into the throne room, carrying her youngest daughter, Cynthia, in her arms, while her eldest child, and successor to the throne, Lucina walked beside her. Chrom looked up from his book, and smiled when he saw his family approach. Grabbing his cane, he walked to his wife and kissed her cheek, while Lucina tugged at his pantaloons to be carried by him. "I'm still breathing, that's all I can ask for."

Chrom lifted up his three-year-old princess and sat back down on his chair, resting her on his knee. "How is everything going in the town?" he asked. Sumia stroked the messy blue locks on Cynthia's head while she slept. "Things are stable. We haven't seen Risen in any parts of town for 2 days now. But... Chrom?" the Queen hesitated and held Cynthia's small head close to her chest. "I've received a missive that we've just lost Frederick..." Chrom exhaled and rubbed Lucina's tiny shoulder as she rested her head against his chest. "I see... May he rest in peace then. He was certainly a good friend..."

Sitting at the edge of their bed, Sumia looked out the window at the crimson sky onto the town. "Chrom, we can't keep doing this, you know." she said. Chrom leaned his head back and closed his eyes. They've had this conversation many times before. Chrom always worried about his fellow Shepherds when fighting alongside them. But in a future that is Hell on Earth, those who died were considered lucky. Without his best friend's guidance or his Kingdom to motivate him, Chrom had ceased to care besides his family who lived or died now. "What are we supposed to do, Sumia? I can't fight anymore. The gemstones are scattered, and our army is in shambles. The only thing we can do is cherish whatever moments we have left in life."

"I know. I just... I hate that things had to turn out this way... Sometimes, I remember, about 4 years ago, when I was pregnant with Lucina, I thought to myself 'Our child will grow into a strong woman, and she'll continue to lead Ylisse into prosperity.' And looking at the world now? Our children are only going to inherit a broken world, Chrom." Sumia hugged Cynthia against her breast as she spoke. She never wanted her children to grow up in a world ruled by death and fear.

"I know how you feel, Sumia. It's been only a year, but it feels more like a decade. Not one day has passed that I don't think about what I could have done to change the world. Not one day passed that I didn't think about him. How he fought and bled for everyone, how he tried to fight against his destiny, and now... He's somewhere out there, suffering. All because I couldn't fight hard enough. You know, he once asked me to kill him?" Sumia looked up from her baby and shook her head. "Well, he did. Just shortly before... it happened. He told me he wanted me to end him if he became Grima. I wasn't strong enough to do it then, and I'm not strong enough now... I've failed him and everyone else."

The crestfallen Exalt lifted his daughter off of his lap and set her down. "I apologize. I need to be alone for a little bit." He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him and walked through the empty, hallowed halls of the palace. How it had changed in only one year: He would always complain about the maids working a little too hard, or wandering around too much, but now that no one was taking care of the place, it quickly fell into disrepair and lonliness. It just didn't feel the same anymore. Chrom walked to the eastern wing of the palace into the residential chambers and knocked on one of the doors.

"Nowi, it's Chrom. Just came to see how you were doing." he said. A small 'Come in' called from the room and Chrom opened the door and stepped inside. Nowi laid on her bed, cradling her newborn baby of 3 months. The Manakete looked up from her daughter's face and met Chrom's gaze. Chrom had spent the past year watching over her and her child as a way to keep the memory of his friend close. "How are you doing today?" he asked, looking at the small infant she held protectively.

"I've had better days. I was able to get Nah to sleep, and Morgan is just fine." Nowi lightly brushed her fingers across the smooth spring-green hair that decorated young Morgan's head. "I was just about to put her in the nursery with her sister and call it a night. Tell Sumia and the girls I said hello."

Chrom politely held the door open for Nowi. Ever since the end of the Grimleal War, she has since lost her bright and cheerful demeanor. Now she seemed distant from most things. The only time when she genuinely smiled anymore was when she was around her children. Both went their separate ways from there, with Chrom heading to the throne room to be alone.

The sound of his cane tapping against the marble floors rang through the empty halls. It was at times like this that he wished Lissa were still around. She had gone traveling worldwide to heal the injured and sick that suffered from the constant attacks around the continent. Chrom walked up to his throne and sat upon it. He held his cane across his lap and rested his head on his arm to think. Though his exhaustion was taking hold and soon he fell asleep.

Thirty minutes passed as if nothing when Chrom awoke. The night sky was a darkened red hue with stars dotting the sky. Placing his cane back on the floor, he hoisted himself up from his throne and began to walk to his room to return to his wife.

"That leg still bothering you, old friend?"

Chrom nearly tripped over himself when he heard a voice call through the room. He wasn't aware that anyone came in while he was asleep. "Who's there?" He asked, but once he took a good look at the owner of the voice, his heart threatened to stop and his face turned as white as a sheet. Sweat dripped from his brow and his pupils shrank at the very sight of the person who stood in front of him. He returned.

"How rude. I would have expected a 'welcome home' after a whole year."

The voice was deep and cold. What used to be kindness and friendliness was replaced with malice and sadistic intention. Chrom's breathing quickly grew erratic and he dropped his cane, falling backwards, against the base of the throne as he looked at the black-hooded figure. He walked closer to him. His steps slow and methotical. Every time his boots hit the floor, Chrom's heart stopped and his hands shook in fear. "S-Stay back..." he stammered, his voice shaky, "Stay back!" he yelled.

Standing above the grounded body of his former friend, the figure placed againger against his own lips.

"Ssshhh... You'll wake the children."

"What could you possibly want from me!?" Chrom demanded. The figure frowned at the pathetic Exalt that sat before him.

"I said, quiet down... Maybe you should have a seat." he hissed. With a forcefull grip on Chrom's tunic, he grabbed him with inhuman strength and slammed his back against the throne, forcing him to sit. "There. You really should keep off that bum leg of yours, friend. Although, I suppose that is my fault for not aiming properly. I suppose I have to apologize for that on my part. I truly am sorry, Chrom." he said in a mock sympathetic tone.

Chrom gritted his teeth in pain and anger. "Why? Why are you even here? You've taken nearly all that I have, and since the Fire Emblem has been lost along with the jewels, I stand no chance against you... So why?" he pleaded.

"Hmph. That's simple. I've simply grown bored this past year, and decided to play a little game to entertain myself. And, I've come here specifically to collect something you've been hiding from me..."

"I've already told you... I have nothing more than my family..."

The hooded man pressed his knuckles harder into Chrom's chest. "Don't you worry about that little detail. You'll be dead by the time I tend to that little matter." he hissed. "As for that little game of mine: I decided to play a bit of Cat and Mouse with your precious Shepherds." he laughed. "I'm going to take my sweet time hunting each and everyone of them down. Think of it as... punishment for standing against me in the past. That seems fair, right?"

The helpless Exalt clenched his hands into fists, so tightly, his nails threatened to break his skin. "Damn you Grima! Damn you to all the Seven Hells!" he yelled. "You may kill us now, but I swear, one day you will be stopped! I swear on my Exalted blood!"

Smiling lazily, Grima lowered his hood to reveal the face of Chrom's old friend. The only difference was his eyes; What used to be kind, brown eyes were now simply glowing red pupils that struck fear into any unfortunate soul who looked upon them. "Speaking of blood, that's the second stage of my little game." he chuckled evilly. "I've decided to give your children a chance. It wouldn't be any fun if I snuffed out the players so quickly. Heh, I'll bet little Lucina will scream ever so loudly when I rend her flesh apart and rip her heart from her chest."

The sheer cruelty coming from this inhuman being nearly drove Chrom mad. This _thing _that took the form of someone he loved like a brother, now mocked him. "You bastard... You treat peoples lives like pieces on a board... Well, do what you will then... I know I can't stop you. I can no longer fight, but make no mistake, I swear our children will be the ones to avenge us..."

"Well, at the very least, it's nice to know you realize your place, little prince... Or is it Exalt now? Doesn't matter. Before I take my leave though, I'd like to tell you a little secret." Grima leaned in uncomfortably close to Chrom and whispered into his ear. "Your precious little sister, Lissa... was the first victim of my game... She called for you, you know. 'Chrom! Chrom, where are you?'"

Those cruel, cold words tore into Chrom's heart when they were uttered unforgivingly. His little sister, slain before her time. "N-No...! Why!?" he pleaded. "Why!? She had nothing to do with you! Nothing! You could have just come after me! Not Lissa... Not my little sister..."  
Erratic breaths turned to whimpers and finally, unrestrained sobs. He refused to believe it, that something could ever happen to a sweet girl like Lissa, especially at the hands of a devil like Grima.

The Fell Dragon only shook his head in pity. "Look at you. Weeping like a newborn babe. Well, you'll be joining her in a moment... But, before you do, I have a present I'd like to give you. A parting gift, if you will..."

Chrom refused to look up at Grima's face. He was completely broken now. He knew he was going to die here, nothing would change that. He only wished that Death's curtain would close quickly. As he resigned himself to his fate, he felt something thump against his lap. Something circular and heavy. Chrom opened his eyes and through his tears, he witnessed something that he had never seen, even in his wildest nightmares. The very sight of it chilled his blood to ice and stole his breath; Lissa's severed head rested on his lap. Her face was one of complete horror. Her gray eyes were blank, her hair gnarled and unkempt, it and her face stained with streaks of blood, and her jaw hung open as if she was still screaming. Chrom could no longer breath. His tears stopped, and he stared, his eyes widened and jaw hanging open in utter shock. It was as if he had already died. He wanted to scream so badly, to scream her name, but his body would simply not obey. As he continued to look at his sister's dead eyes, Grima held a dagger-like bolt of lightning in his hands, just as he did when he attempted to murder Chrom at the Dragon's Table a year before.

"I won't be missing this time, old friend. Good night..."

* * *

Nowi was in the nursery, gently rocking Morgan to sleep. Her two-year-old big sister, Nah was already sleeping in the bed just across from hers. When both children were fast asleep, Nowi gently kissed their foreheads and walked out of the nursery to her room. The way back there seemed to be longer than ever though. It was strange; She always walked the same route when putting her kids to sleep, but tonight seemed to take longer than ever, almost as if something was trying to keep her from her destination. She brushed the feeling away and only continued to her room.

As she arrived, she noticed that something was off. The door to her room was opened partway. But why would that be? Chrom closed the door on their way out, she heard it herself, so why was it opened? Approaching cautiously, Nowi peeked into the room. The lighting was dark, and with the contrast of the crimson night sky, Nowi couldn't tell precisely who it was. She would have tried to surprise the intruder but instead, elected to stay quiet and peek further inside.

"I suppose I should say it's good to see you again."

The sound of that all-too familiar voice made Nowi's heart skip a beat. "...Is that you...?" she asked, holding the arch of the doorway, hoping desperately that she wasn't going mad from loneliness.  
There was no answer. Slowly, Nowi approached the figure sitting on her bed. As she drew ever closer, the scent of blood grew stronger. For whatever reason, Nowi ignored this sign and approached. Standing just behind them, Nowi saw the unmistakable silver hair that covered the head of the man she once knew and loved. She held her hands close to her chest, one hand holding onto her ring that he had given to her. It was all she could do to not wrap her arms around him and never, ever let him go.

"Where is the child..." spoke her supposed lover. Nowi's hands clenched at the top of her night gown when she heard his voice again. How she missed it. He seemed a lot colder in the way he addressed her though. No greeting? Why did he not turn to look at her? All these questions that rang from her instincts swirled around in her head, but the naive Manakete's love overtook her judgement. "Robin... I'm so happy that you're back. I don't know how, but, I knew you would find a way to escape Grima's control! I never stopped believing in you!" she cried out. Giving into her heart's desires, she threw herself onto 'Robin' and hugged him fiercely. Her hands wrapped around him and reached to his masculine chest. How she longed to feel his touch again. He, however remained unresponsive to her touch.

"I'll ask again: Where is the child?" he said, in a stern tone. Nowi, still ignoring what her mind was telling her nuzzled her face into the nape of his neck, breathing in his scent deeply. The scent of blood was very strong on him, but she figured it originated from injuries sustained in his ordeals to find her.

"Robin, I have something very important to tell you." she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I... We, have a second child now." 'Robin' still remained unresponsive. He continued to sit and listened to her speak. "The night we shared together, before heading off to the Dragon's Table... I realized I was pregnant three months later. Oh, Robin, I was scared that our babies would never see their father. Our new child, she's a beautiful baby girl. I named her Morgan, just like you wanted for our first child, in memory of you. She's only three months old now, but she's beautiful."

"Where are the children then..." he asked in his dismissive tone again. Nowi was pulled out of her reverie at 'Robin's' blatant disregard for her. She had just found her husband again, and in the very short time they reunited, he remained completely indifferent to her. He hasn't even addressed her. Sensing something may be amiss, Nowi released her embrace and knelt on the bed before him. "Robin... Look at me." she said in an almost pleading tone. Again, he remained unresponsive. Trying to keep herself calm and not come off as desperate, Nowi placed a hand on 'Robin's' shoulder and asked again. "Robin, please, look at me..."

Finally, some sort of response; He moved one of his hands to Nowi's on his shoulder and held it gently. Just when Nowi smiled at some sort of change in his stoic behavior, she quickly began to panic, as the gentle touch turned into a painful grasp. He grabbed her arm by the wrist and squeezed enough that Nowi's hand began to go numb. Struggling to pull away, Nowi noticed the bloodstains she smelled covering 'Robin's' hand. "Robin! Let go, you're hurting me!" she yelled.

With frightening force, he pulled Nowi's hand hard enough to bring her body to his front and stood up from the bed, holding Nowi's arm up, enough to suspend her an inch off the ground. "I asked where the damned children were." he hissed. Nowi was absolutely horrified at the glowing red eyes of who she thought was Robin. She silently cursed herself for not following her instincts when she had the chance as she looked at the hostile stare. "G-Grima!"

"I really don't want this to get messy," Grima spoke. "so I think it would be in our best interest if you just told me where the children were. Or, you could stay silent, and I could kill you and tear the palace down, brick by brick if I have to. Your choice, love. Though, if I'm being honest, I'd be more than willing to spare your life. After all, I am using Robin's body as a vessel, and I'm not completely cruel; I'll let you live, and you could always be my mistress. How does that sound?"

Nowi's frightened eyes darted from around the room. She eyed the small box where she kept her Dragonstone. If she could just get free, she could probably burn Grima to the ground and be done with him. "I'd rather die than be your mistress! I belong only to Robin, you wyrm!" she shouted.

"I'm very much aware." he said. "And while your death can certainly be arranged, I would rather you stayed alive. An act of mercy I only take into account because I have Robin to thank for giving me new life. This way, you can continue to live with your lover, and with the added benefit of immortality, you'd never need to fear of outliving me. Besides," Grima, still suspending Nowi in the air, ran a cold hand down Nowi's back. "You are quite the woman. I can see why he chose you." he chuckled perversely.

Appalled at the very idea of becoming the mistress of the Fell Dragon, Nowi spat in his face. Dismissively wiping saliva from his brow and cheek, he responded by passivly squeezing her wrist even harder, enough to completely cut off her blood flow, and threatening to crush her bones into pieces. Screaming in immense pain, Nowi took a bold chance and hoisted herself up to Grima's arm and bit down hard with her sharpened fangs. The bite was enough to warrant a flinch from the Fell Dragon, giving Nowi enough time to kick herself free and dove for the box under her bed that contained her Dragonstone, quickly holding it aloft and beginning her transformation. However, Grima quickly snapped her up again, this time by the neck, before her transformation was finished, causing it to cancel out, and consequently, damaging her Dragonstone with a permanent crack on the surface.

Lifting the poor girl up and staring intently at her, Grima snarled at such an insult. "You sneaky, little, _bitch._" he growled, emphasizing every word. "You actually bit me." He tightened his grip around her throat, making Nowi tense up as she gagged and desperately tried to pry his hand from her. Grima walked over to the desk in the corner of the room that belonged to the late-Robin. He swiped away the papers, scattering them around the floor or out the window and brutally slammed the Manakete face-first on the hard wood. Blood dripped down her nose and her face was a pained shade of pink. Not satisfied, Grima delivered another blow, and another. Again and again, he slammed her face into the desk until her blood stained the top of it and her once flawless features were now bloodied and swollen. Blood and tears dripped from her face as she sobbed helplessly from the onslaught.

"R-Robin... I know you're still in there somewhere... Stop him!" she begged. Grima's already hostile eyes grew monstrous as she spoke. "I change my mind... You're not as attractive as I took you." he said. "Have a look for yourself!"  
With terrifying force, Grima effortlessly threw Nowi to the other side of the room, sending her flying straight through a full body mirror. The sound of broken glass rang loudly as shards from the mirror sullied the clean floor. Nowi, sobbing even more from the cruel pain inflicted by the broken mirror pieces burrowing into her flesh curled into a fetal position as Grima approached her again.

"Aw, looks like you've broken that mirror. There's an old saying about bad luck, you know." he smarmed. Looking into her terrified eyes, Grima once again grabbed Nowi by her neck and held her high above him, even higher than last time. "If you want Robin so bad, then you can spend eternity together with him in Hell." With his strength, Grima clutched Nowi's neck slowly until her air supply was cut off. Watching her squirm for a few seconds more, he finished the deed and clenched so hard that a sickening snap was heard. That was the end of it. Nowi's body simply went limp, and releasing her from his grip, she fell to the ground, sprawled amidst the broken mirror and blood.

Not even stopping to taunt her in death, Grima simply lifted up one of her hands and forcefully pulled off her wedding band, the very same one that Robin presented her during their marriage. He then walked through the palace, searching for the children he had traveled all the way here to find, only making one stop to silence the Queen in her sleep on his way there.

Once he found the children's nursery, he quietly walked inside and looked upon the faces of the half-Manaketes. One was a newborn baby with spring-green hair, while the other was about a year or two older with silver hair. No doubt these children were fathered by Robin. Walking over to both of the girls he checked their hands to see if they possessed his Brand. Only one of them did, the elder one. With a sadistic smile, Grima scooped up both girls in his arms and walked out of the nursery. "I hope you girls haven't grown used to this place. You're about to get a new home."

That night, Grima traveled the continent in search of a place to place the young ones in proper care. He certainly couldn't raise them as he had plans of his own to attend to. Such as the destruction of Valm and the other continents of the world. Eventually, before the sun rose, he found a lonely village at the edge of Ylisse, covered in snow. Delving into Robin's memories, an extended family of one of the Shepherds lived in this very village. If they were aquainted with the Shepherds, then surely they would take proper care of the children, knowing their parents were war heroes. He placed his hood over his head and walked into the village. When he came upon the proper home, he knocked and waited for an answer.

After a little bit of waiting, a woman opened the door. "Good morning sir, can I help you?" she asked politely, rubbing some sleep out of her eyes.

"Oh, yes." Grima answered, adopting a helpless tone. "Madam, these children I carry with me are children of the Shepherds who fight even now to protect Ylisse... Sadly, their mother has been slain after fighting courageously. I was entrusted to find them a good home until their father returns. Please find it in your heart to take them in, ma'am. We've nowhere else to go!" he 'begged'.

The village woman looked upon the children with pity. "Oh, how tragic... So young, and already they have lost their parents to war. If they truly descend from the Shepherds, it would be our honor to take them in. We have a loved one who fights for Ylisse as well." she replied. Holding her arms out to receive the children, Grima placed the sisters in this woman's care.

"I thank you ma'am. The one on the left is named Nah, she is the older and Morgan is the younger. I know these girls and their parents would thank you if they would as well. Oh, and please give this to them. It belong to their mother." Grima handed the ring that he took from Nowi after he murdered her. Bowing to the woman, he stepped away from her door and left the village. "I'll be back for you, Morgan. You can count on that." he whispered under his breath as he left the village gates.

* * *

**10 Years Later**

Just as Ylisse, the rest of the world had fallen to the grip of the Fell Dragon. Risen patrolled the streets of every town, city and road everywhere. The name Grima was spoken in great fear and was worshiped as a God. Many resistance groups rose up against his might but were stamped out by him personally to make an example. Sitting atop his throne in his castle on Origin Peak, built from the remains of other nations' reigning palaces, the Fell Dragon plotted his next move.

"Hmph. An entire decade, and no excitement to be had. Immortality can be so painfully boring at times." he uttered to no one in particular. "I've already burned this world to ashes, what's a God to do..." Rubbing his chin, Grima thought about what else he could possibly do to while more time away. He could always terrorize more villages, that always seemed to fill an afternoon. But no, he needed something more substantial. These measly pillage sprees did nothing to ignite his dragon blood. He wanted a challenge. Something that, if not entertain him, then at least occupy his time. Picking at his teeth with a gloved finger, he recalled how he had a game with the previous Shepherds, the last of which were wiped out a few years ago. True to his word, the children still lived and grew up on the bloody battlefields that he had gouged into the wasted lands. Among those children, he remembered the two dragonkin that he left in the care of a foster home while he ravaged the world.  
"Ah yes... That one child. Morgan, was it? She didn't possess my Mark, yet her sister did..." He mulled over the reason why that would be if both were born of his blood. Nevertheless, an idea brewed in his head. "I do believe I've found my next source of entertainment." he chuckled, with a wicked grin.

Stepping off his throne and leaving his castle, Grima ventured to the old village that he had intentionally kept standing to ensure the girls' safety. After all, he was planning to use one of them to further his plans. Chosing to approach inconspicuously, the Fell Dragon opted to travel in the form of darkened fog rather than his God-Dragon form. He would only use such in the case that he would annihilate another fraction of the humans that still dotted this planet as his playthings.

Swiftly and silently arriving at the village, Grima took the shape of his familar replican't form of the late-tactician, with his hood covering his face. Walking through the mostly intact village, Grima came upon the home that he entrusted the girls to. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer. He distinctly heard clatter and shouts emenating from the home and when the door opened, he was not greeted by the woman who he had met a decade previous, but a balding, bearded man who reeked of ale.

"Eh? Whaddya want, strangah?" he slurred.

"Pardon my unannounced visitation sir, but I have come to retrieve the girl named Morgan, who lives here." he responded, wafting the heavy stench of alcohol away from his face.

"An' wha' does a man like you want with me daughtah...?" he asked, hobbling a bit. It was obvious this man was quite drunk. Not the best choice for a caretaker.

"With respect sir, but you are not Morgan's father. I am. And the same goes for Nah." he responded, trying to keep his tolerance from reaching its limit.

"Bah! Some dad you've been! Lettin' 'em young'uns stay in a foster home while you go an' fight that Grima fellow. Howzat been goin' by the way? Owait, you've'nt dun nothin'!" the man shouted.

"...Can I possibly talk to the woman of the house...?" Grima asked, clenching a fist.

"Peh. Me wife done died tryna' pertect them kids from Risen. Makes me sick. They be dragons! Why do they need the pertectin'!? Anyway the older one's out now doin' her rounds. The younger one's asleep upstairs. Go ahead an' take her. Ain't got no use fo' some half-human scum like them."

Without saying a word, Grima started to enter the house, but was stopped by the drunkard, holding his arm in front of the doorway. Looking at the man from under his hood to disguise his eyes, he asked coldly, "What...?"

"Imma need some payment fo' returnin' them kids to ya, pal. I've been breakin' my back fo' 10 years an' me wife is dead 'cos a them. Now, how much gold ya got on ya?"

"...You want payment, do you?" Grima asked rhetorically. Not giving the man time to answer, Grima force himself passed the man and slammed the door shut, then grabbed him my the neck and slung him to the ground. He then placed his boot on the man's chest and applied pressure, enough to cause a loud, drunken scream.

"What is it with you humans and never keeping your voices down. You'll wake the child..." he said. "As for your reward..." Grima then pulled his hood back, revealing his face, and most importantly, his eyes to the man. "Well, how about I reunite you with your wife then?" Pressing his foot down even harder, Grima effortlessly crushed through the man's rib cage and burst his heart, underfoot. Blood quickly leaked onto the wooden floor and pooled around him. "I hope you'll both be happy in eternity."

Making his way to the second story of the house, Grima found the bedroom of the girls. The family was evidently poor, even for village folk, as there was nothing much to the room: 3 books, a stuffed Dragon-doll with crude stitching and a bed that could accommodate two children were the only things inside. Grima looked upon the sleeping Morgan and noted how big she had gotten in only a decade. Having immortality, time was absolutely nothing to him, and 10 years flew by without him noticing. He had to remind himself how long ago it was that he left the two there. Grima placed his right hand on Morgan's head and his mark glowed ethereally; He placed a spell on Morgan to keep her asleep until he so chose to undo it.

Picking the young girl up in his arms, Grima exited the home and the village. When he was a good enough distance, he snapped his fingers and summoned a large number of Risen from the soil and ordered them to attack the village. "Just a little incentive for your big sister. Effective, if a bit messy. Don't you agree, Morgan?" he asked. The sleeping girl didn't answer, obviously. "I know I can be cruel, but your father only acts that way because he loves you." he laughed coldly, as he saw his minion tear the once peaceful village asunder.

Once his deeds were finished, Grima returned to his castle on Origin Peak. When he arrived he placed Morgan in her own private chambers and he contemplated on what to do next. "Alright. The older one should be motivated enough to want to join forces with the children of Chrom and the other Shepherds just as I've manipulated the others... But what shall I do about Morgan...? Hmm... I could always turn her over to my side, and have her assist me in butchering those kids. But... she would never voulentarilly fight against her friends." Grima sat upon his throne and contemplated a solution to this issue. Somehow, he had to make Morgan his pawn; Using an ally to fight against their own ally would be quite a show indeed, but it would be for naught if Morgan refused to fight. Eventually, he came to a conclusion. "Hmmm... Unlike her sister, she doesn't carry my mark... She's not as powerful, so I must train her myself... from a cleaned slate. Yes, I'll just use my powers and plant false memories of her as my child... When the time comes, I'll have her destroy her friends, and we'll rule this planet as parent and child for eternity!" The empty halls of his castle rang with the sadistic cackles of the Fell Dragon, as he finally began planning the next step in his new game.

* * *

**6 Years Later**

After so much waiting. So much planning. So much preparation, the game was finally afoot. The new target's of Grima's newest game had grown into their prime and trained themselves from the endless battles of Risen and monsters that stalked the land for the past few years. Grima smiled sadistically as he relished the very idea of having fresh meat to hunt down. He had waited for quite some time for this moment. He waited patiently in his castle walls, never stepping outside for six short years, and bottled his boredom and excitement for what would be a grand finale to the game he started years ago. He had already picked his first target with which to start off his rampage. With the child of the one that started it all: Lucina. Once he eliminated the weilder of Falchion and the last of Naga's champions, no one would be able to save the rest that would follow.

Before leaving, Grima stopped by Morgan's room once more. The girl had remained in a state of sleep for the past six years, incuded by the spell he placed on her. "Hm... Not yet..." he said, reflecting on his plans. "The time has not come for you to awaken just yet, child... but soon. So very soon, you will once again walk this earth at my side." Just before leaving her chambers, Grima used his powers to give her a new set of clothes, to replace the ones that she had worn previously, as she had outgrown them. A quick snap of his fingers, and she was enveloped in a pale light that replaced her old sleeping atire with one that resembled his: A beige shirt, large black belt, tan pantaloons and boots, and his iconic black cloak. "And one last gift..." he uttered. Concentrating some of his power in his palm, a lime-green orb glowed in his hand. "The Dragonstone that contains the spirit of the Divine Dragons... While I'm not happy you hail from that tribe, you will certainly make do." he remarked. With most of her preparation complete, Grima placed the stone in her hands and left her to continue her sleep.

Standing on the cliff edge of Origin Peak, Grima breathed in deeply, taking in the foul air as he prepared for his grand entrance at Ylisstol. Jumping from the peak, Grima transformed, from his human body into a massive six winged beast. His size easily dwarved the castle he took residence in. In fact, a village could very well survive on his back alone. With utter excitement and finally using his Godly powers again, Grima flocked to Ylisstol quickly. On his way, he made a point to harass more humans, burning down their homes and fields with his deadly breath, summoning more and more Risen to attack, and casting his imposing image on the survivors who saw him soar over them.

Finally, arriving to the palace, Grima, in his massive size made no hesitation to attack. Using his massive jaw, he tore open the walls and roof of the throne room of the palace and peered down at the young Princess, Lucina, who had been fighting for her life against the Risen that invaded her home. Covering her eyes from the flying rubble, she stumbled to pick up her sword that she dropped. Scrambling to her feet and trying to find the source of the attack through the dust and debris, she heard the demonic call of the Fell Dragon himself.

**"So ends the human race.**

**The future, is built upon the past.**

**But _your _kind shall never see it!"**

The large red eyes of Grima glared at her menacingly as Lucina faced to see the very nightmare that ruined her world. She had never seen the Fell Dragon before, hearing only stories of him, yet his sheer size surpassed her wildest imaginations. Her breathing grew shallow as she stared into the face of a devil she hoped to one day defeat, realizing that she would die today.

**"Your mother and father...**

**Are dead, tiny one."**

As much as she hated to admit it, there was no way for her to fight a beast like this. She was certain that this was the end. Despite her own thoughts, she held Falchion bravely towards Grima, not sure what hopes could help her. The very act of her pretending to be brave caused a devilish laugh to thunder from Grima's giant maw. His large, cave-like mouth opened, exposing 3 rows of jagged teeth that would see the princess on her way to the afterlife.

**"And now, it is your turn...**

**...to DIE!"**

A blood-curdling scream erupted from Lucina as Grima's large head rushed towards her. Everything slowed down to a crawl. It was as if time itself had slowed down. Lucina's heart stopped beating for a brief second, completely submitting to her fate. Before the fateful hour, a bright light emenated from Falchion's blade. The light was so intense that Grima flinched and yelled in pain as it grew larger and brighter. This light, he knew all too well; it was Naga's divine protection. Somehow, the Divine Dragon had finally intervened. The light grew even brighter than before. So much so that the presence of this holy power drove Grima from his perch and caused him to fly away. When the Fell Dragon was out of Lucina's sight, her blade fell silent once again. Somehow, the bright light also drove away the Risen, leaving her alone in the now ruined palace. The town below was set ablaze, leaving all that the princess could see ahead of her was an orange blur and the shadow of the demon who ruined her life in the far distance.

Back on Origin Peak, Grima returned to his throne room in his human form, rubbing his strained eyes. Keeping his composure so he would not cause unnecessary damage to his home in fits of rage, the Fell Dragon paced back and forth lost in thought once again.

"That damned Goddess thinks she can interfere with my game!? No. No no no no no no NO!" he yelled, smashing a sizable hole into the eastern wall. Sitting back on his throne, albeit hunched forward a little, Grima began a new plan. Obviously Naga would never let him get close to Lucina, especially not with Falchion in her possession. The very blade was crafted from her own fang. If that was the case, then he would never be able to get close to her... but, there was someone who could.

Having constructed a new plan, Grima returned to Morgan. He placed his hand over her forehead, and his Mark began to glow. Not only did he break the spell keeping her asleep, but he also used his powers to wipe her memory clean. Small blue sparks of what looked like to be electricity emanated from his finger tips and crawled across Morgan's head, removing her entire past from her. Everything she had come to know was gone: Her sister, her foster home, the friends she made with Lucina and the other children of the Shepherds, all of it. In their place, Grima fabricated false memories of Morgan and himself as a happy father and child, leaving out information and memories that would lead to his identity as the Fell Dragon. This way, she would have loyalty to him without the need for mind control, as she did not possess his Brand, making it impossible for that to happen. In her previous memories place, he also placed memories of training in magic and swordplay, and knowledge of how to use her Dragon powers. Doing so without such a fabricated method would take time that Grima simply did not have. With the young Dragon's memories erased, Grima left her to sleep until she awakened. Until then, he had to make another trip to Ylisstol.

* * *

In the ruins of the palace, Lucina had called together her friends, who had been fighting in town and came to her aid once the Fell Dragon was warded off. They all stood in a forest, far from the burning town.

"Everyone... I have something of extreme importance to tell you all. Hours ago, as you saw, I was attacked by Grima himself... Were it not for the blessing of Naga, I would be dead, and Gods know what would happen to you all. After the attack, I recieved a message from the Goddess herself." Lucina paced back and forth as she recalled the message she was supposed to convey.

"Naga has prepared a ceremony for us all. A ceremony that will allow us to return to the past and alter events to chance our future, for the better. And, as much as I would hate to abandon the people of our time, there is nothing more we can do... With this last attack, Grima has ensured the end of humanity. Therefore, Naga has granted us one final mission. We must return to the past, just before Grima achieves his power, and silence him there. Once we complete that task, our future and the world will be saved indefinitely."

"That's great and all, but if you take a look around you, Lucina..." Severa said, "we kinda LOST the battle years ago! How are we supposed to beat that thing even in the past, huh!?"

"It's simple!" chimed in Owain. "If we return to the point in time where that monster was his weakest, we have a better chance of defeating him! It can't possibly fail, Severa! The bards will sing of Owain Dark's exploits when we finally put an end to that beast!"

Severa only rolled her eyes in annoyance. She knew things could never be that simple.

"Well... I agree with Owain..." Noire whispered. "He couldn't possibly be as strong as he is now... If we work together, we can take him this time. I know it. I'm tired of living in this world, always fearing if the next day will be my last..."

"Yeah... Grima... killed Morgan and destroyed my foster home..." Nah said, holding her Dragonstone, looking mournfully at her reflection. "I won't just let that monster walk away... Not after what he's done. Not after taking the only family I had in this world. I say we go for it."

Leaning against a tree away from the group, Gerome patted Minerva's head and placed a mask upon his face. "If I'm being honest... I think we'll most certainly fail again. I don't believe something so dire can be simply solved as you all put it. I only chose to go back in time to release Minerva into the wild... She's the last of her kind, and I can't subject her to such loneliness for the rest of her days as we all have... So you all can go about your plan to change history, but I'm going for my own reasons..."

No other objections were made on the idea of returning to the past. At the very least, they would know a peaceful world even if they failed again. But they wouldn't allow themselves to fail. They will succeed, even if they had to die trying.

"We're leaving right this second, everyone. I hope you're all prepared for this. We cannot fail the mission tasked to us." Lucina stated. Her fellow Shepherds stood before her, ready to take on whatever they had coming to them. With a deep breath, Lucina unsheathed Falchion and raised it skyward. After a brief moment of waiting, the hollow center in the blade shined brilliantly and before them all, a large, circular gateway opened before them. Everyone gazed into the beautiful blue light that was the gate to the past and stepped forward, hand in hand.

"We may be separated, but no matter where we end up, let's make a promise to find each other again." Lucina said. Everyone looked to their left and right, to each of their comrads and promised mentally that they would never give up on finding each other, and never give up on changing the future. Looking upward, the shadow of the Fell Dragon was cast upon their location and his figure blanketed the sky. "We've got company..."

Above them, Grima had witnessed the light from the Time Gate and shifted into his human form to investigate. When he landed onto the site, he saw all of his targets for his game in one place.

"Well, it appears you've come up with a new plan, hmm?" he asked, with rage and annoyance clowing his brow.

"We've been given a new chance to defeat you Grima. We won't fail again!" Lucina yelled, standing before him and her comrades. "You all go, I'll see you on the other side."

"Whoa, you're not planning on fighting that thing alone, are you?" Severa asked.

"Don't worry about me. Just go!"

Severa looked at her friends to support her on this point, but they all agreed that the time to leave was now. Sighing in resignation, Severa stepped through the gate with her friends. "You better come back, Princess... I'll be waiting."

"Lucina!" Gerome called. "Take this!" He tossed her a mask, identical to his, but one made especially for her. As her friends disappeared into time and space, Lucina grabbed the mask that was given to her and stared into the red eyes of her adversary.

"You had better start praying Grima. I promise you, we will destroy you and save the future."

"Funny, that's not so different to what your father said... before I murdered him."

Placing the butterfly-esque mask upon her face and tying her long hair back into a shorter length, Lucina turned her back on Grima and jumped through the gate. Unwilling to let her jeoperdize his future, Grima followed after, attempting to return to her world of the past and ruin it as well, just to prove how futile her efforts were. Both soon disappeared into time and space just like the others, and the gate closed soon after.

* * *

In Origin Peak, the castle was dead silent. In one chamber, Morgan began to stir from her long slumber. Her head was throbbing painfully from having her memories completely erased and otherwise, rewritten. As her blurred vision slowly returned, Morgan groaned groggily. She was unaware of her long sleep and moving was a bit difficult for the moment.

"Father...?" she called in a raspy voice. "Hello?"  
No answer. Her vision had not returned to her yet, and she felt an onset of nausea. Climbing out of her bed and stumbling out of her room, she walked down the blurry halls that she couldn't identify.

_"Do you seek your father, child?"_

__The calm voice rang in Morgan's head. It was unfamiliar to her, and she knew it couldn't be her father. "Who's there...?" she asked.

_"Answer my question."_

"Y-Yes... I'm looking for my father. Who are you?"

_"If you seek him, then step forward through the gate."_

Suddenly, the Time Gate that had transported Lucina and the others appeared in front of Morgan as well. With her vision still blurred, she could only see a faint blue light down a corridor. With one of her hands against the wall for balance, Morgan shuffled towards, and eventually inside, the gate and felt herself moving through time. Just as she had woken up, she found herself passing out again, but not before she heard the mysterious voice one last time.

_"Reclaim what you have lost, and win back a lost future."_

When Morgan came to, her vision had cleared up, and she could see much better. She was in a completely different place than she once was. Now, she found herself alone in old ruins that she was certain she had never been to. She didn't remember much, as a matter of fact. The sky was a pale green color, and the ruins around her glowed a faint blue hue. Sitting up, she looked around to see if anyone was close. "Father...?" she called again. Standing up and dusting herself off, Morgan pulled the hood of her coat over her head and wandered around the ruins, looking for her beloved father.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, this took a bit of time to write, yes sir, it did! **

**This story is my own personal take on how Morgan lost her memories and how she returned to the past, and also how her and Nah lost their parents and were placed into a foster home. **

**Readers of my Love and Dragonstones fanfic are probably familiar with all the fluff I write, so it's no doubt that some are pretty shocked at the sheer brutality that I showed in this fic.  
Why is that, you may ask? Because I wanted to express just how much of a bastard Grima can actually be. When Grima didn't have his powers, he was quiet and prefered to stay away from people, but when he got his powers, he became overconfident and cocky. So, I wanted to make full use of his personality. **

**The way he brutalized Nowi and other people in the fic is simply because he can. He is a God. He has the power to rip the world apart if he wanted to, and he did. Everyone is beneath him, and he'll do whatever he wants, whenever he wants just to get the job done. **

**Some will say I probably took it a stage too far, I say it was just right. Grima doesn't give a damn about who he hurts, as long as he gets a laugh out of it. Just like in the game, how he took so much pleasure in nearly murdering the party at the end of the game, he would have no problem with crushing someone's rib cage, or impaling them through the heart. **

**Soooo yeah... I can be pretty twisted when I feel like it! But, I don't see myself writing too many stories that have too much of this stuff. This is a rare occasion, unless I feel there is a need for it. **


End file.
